Only a Memory
by Covette Blue
Summary: AU, 1x2. They were the best of friends until a horrifying accident tore them apart. Sixteen years later they are inadvertently reunited and plan on solving the mysteries surrounding the accident, but will the mental institution let them go?
1. Default Chapter

Warnings: Yaoi, 1x2; AU; some graphic (not citrus) scenes; rating might go up

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or any of its characters; all are property of Bandai and all other owners and/or producers. My bank account will boldly tell you that I'm not making any money off this project.

Feedback is welcome! Hope you enjoy!

* * *

_My mind is filled with thoughts of you  
I think about the days of two  
I search the room but you're not there  
Your perfume lingers everywhere  
But it's_

_Only a memory  
Of what our love was going to be  
Only a memory  
Broken bits of you and me  
Only a memory  
Only a memory_

_In a world of pain I have no fear  
You fade away and disappear  
And now I have to learn the game  
Where no one wins or takes the blame  
But it's_

_Only a memory  
Of what our love was going to be  
Only a memory  
Now that we are history  
Only a memory  
Only a memory_

_But it's  
Only a memory  
Of what our love was going to be  
Only a memory  
Broken bits of you and me  
Only a memory  
Only a memory_

_Why should it matter if I cry  
I sit around and wonder why  
Now I feel much too weak to live  
And I've got nothing left to give  
Now it's_

_Only a memory  
Of what our love was going to be  
Only a memory  
Broken bits of you and me  
Only a memory  
Only a memory  
Only a memory..._

They were hardly six months old when their eyes first met.

Blue-violet and Prussian locked and stared, and the previously wailing babies settled into silence. Their confused sitters saw their now-content gazes on each other, smiled, and put them in the same playpen together. Within no time the unsocial, frightened boys were laughing and playing, babbling to each other, and any passerby could've sworn that they understood each other's seemingly meaningless baby talk.

The two became fast friends and inseperable before they knew what the word 'friendship' meant. It did not take long for them to figure out they were neighbors and that their parents worked together, which was the reason they had found themselves at the same daycare center. At the tender age of three, when most children still wailed about being away from their parents for more than a few hours, they were spending the night at each other's house, completely oblivious to the lack of one or the other's paternal figures.

By the time they were five they hardly had to speak around each other to communicate, for they possessed a strange and almost inhuman ability to read each other's body language. The slightest curve of the lips, flicker of an eyelash, or move of the head meant something to the other.

"It's almost as though they're the same person," their parents joked.

Had someone told them how right they were, they might not have been laughing.

* * *

The title of this story is an actual song by The Smithereens, and the lyrics, if you couldn't guess, are the intro.

There's this silly little game I like to play when I name my chapters. I pick a song title that I think fits the chapter, and, ta-da!, chapter title. ; The song itself usually has some meaning to the chapter (at least to me. Sometimes the song inspired or shaped the chapter. If you're completely bored, try looking up the song and see if you can find the artist and lyrics. I'll post the artist in the next chapter, so if you don't get it the first time, you can at least look at the lyrics. If you have Napster or some other song provider, you can even listen to it! But I know a lot of songs from many different genres, so be on your toes! .


	2. These Are the Days

Hey, all! Sorry I'm a bit late with an update. I meant to do it yesterday, but considering that it's now the worst day I can ever remember having, it just didn't get done. I won't vent on you guys, don't worry.

I probably won't have another update for the next few weeks. There won't be one next week because, the way this is going, there won't be all that many chapters (Sorry! I just can't seem to make it longer!) and I don't want to run out. There won't be one the week after that because I'll be in Washington D.C. for a 4-H trip. Hey, if any of you guys know what I'm talking about (Citizenship Focus), let me know. I'd consider meeting you IF (read, _only_ if) you're a _4-H'er who's going to be participating_ and not just a local citizen.

Okay, this is _really_ bothering me! Has anyone else noticed that on the animated guitar guy on the VH1/MTV production '100 Most Metal Moments' (which, by the way, was _totally_ awesome!!), looks kinda like Trowa? I mean, you only see the back of his head, but the way his hair falls over his face makes me picture a unibang! On that note, has anyone heard the song 'No Smoke Without a Fire' by Bad Company? (Come on, I know some of you have, or at least have access to the song!) Doesn't Brian Howe (the lead singer) sound like Trowa in that song? If Trowa sang? Maybe it's just my over-obsessed imagination...

Last thing, I promise! Is anyone else having problems getting asterisks, those wavy lines, or the special #6 sign we use to make faces to show up on here? I don't have that problem anywhere but FF.net and was wondering whether or not it was just my browser. Until that gets resolved, some of my formatting is going to look kinda funny; let me know if you can't follow it.

**Reviewers:**

**serenity**: Thank you! Hope I didn't make you count too much...[sweatdrop]

**Ashen Skies**: As you can see, I used your good idea. Thanks! And the chapters will alternate between short and long...leaning more towards the short side...sorry! [hides] I'll try to meet your standards; I'm in a bit of a pickle further in the story, though...ugh! Thanks for the review!

**crimsonseraph**: Well, they're not _literally_ the same person; Din Maxwell got it right with the guess of soul-mates. The same person...that would be kinda scarey...[hides] Thanks, though!

**Hikaru**: Creepy? Hehe, I haven't heard that one before! Maybe these next few updates will be more normal for you. [grin] LOL, that's a good attitude! Thanks a bunch!

**Din Maxwell**: Yay, someone got it! [dances] I didn't think anyone would! Good job! [gives candy and plushies] Thanks for reading, and I'll write as much as I can!

**Nikkler**: Eep! LOL! You should know...I'm one of the worst bowlers you'll ever meet. I got four gutter balls in a row and ended the game with a score of 23. [sweatdrop] Sad, huh? Hehe, thanks for the inspiring review!

Thanks to all the readers who didn't review!

* * *

The taller of the two five year-old boys slowed his swinging, watching the shorter one kick his legs back and forth to gain more altitude. Moments later they were swinging in rhythm. "Hey, Heero!" the shorter boy giggled, looking over at him. "'Lena said if you swing side-by-side with a person, you gotta marry them!" 'Lena, or Relena, the boys' friend, led their preschool in the area of love. 

The other boy laughed. "Then when we grow up, let's get married!"

This made his friend huff. "Why do we hafta wait _that_ long? 'Lena said if you marry someone, you getta live forever with them! I wanna live with you!"

"Only adults can get married, silly!"

Now the shorter boy was getting upset. "But I what if you decide to marry someone else?"

Heero slowed himself down and stopped. His friend, puzzled, did the same. When they'd both stopped, Heero looked the other boy dead in the eye. "I promise I'll only marry you, Duo, and no one else."

"And I promise I'll only marry you!" They smiled at each other. 

"Ya know, I was gonna ask you to marry me anyway." Heero kicked off the ground and began swinging. "Hilde said you marry the person you love, and I love you." It could be said that the boy's love struck teenage cousin had an...odd...effect on him.

Duo giggled and began swinging again. "I love you too!"

They continued to swing in companionable silence. Heero broke it with a tentative, "Duo? We'll always be friends, right?"

"Of course we will! I'll always always be your friend, no matter what! Besides, we're getting married, remember?" Duo chided with a cheeky grin.

Heero smiled, something only Duo was allowed to see. "Yeah."

::.::

"Get away from me!"

"Shorty, shorty, shorty!" the small group of bullies jeered at the boy pinned against the building. It didn't seem to matter to them that he was only a few inches shorter than they were. "What's 'a matter, shorty, gonna start crying? Crybaby, crybaby!"

"Leave him alone." Deep blue eyes full of ice turned their full wrath at the group as their owner stepped in front of Duo. The anger on the otherwise emotionless face silenced the bullies and moments later sent them running the other way. Heero turned around, eyes and expression immediately soft. "You okay?"

"Uh-huh." Duo, however, sniffed and rubbed at his eyes.

Heero hugged him, and Duo held onto him tightly. "I'll never let anyone hurt you."

::.::

"I can't."

"Yeah you can! Come on, Heero, it's easy!" Duo beamed, leaning his training wheel-less bike towards Heero. "I'll teach 'ya!"

"Okay..." Heero decided uncertainly, straddling the bike as if he would his own.

Duo giggled happily and held the bike against himself. "Just sit down like it's your bike," he instructed, and his friend did. The bike immediately began to tip, but Duo held it tight.

Heero, however, didn't seem very reassured. "Duo, I dunno..."

"You can do it! I'll be right here, I won't let you fall," Duo promised, beginning to walk with the bike. "Now pedal kinda slow; I can't keep up if you go fast." The shorter boy walked them around his driveway to let Heero get the feel of the bike. "Now squeeze the handles and put one of your feet down to stop." 

Heero did as he was told with no trouble. "How am I doing?"

"Very good! The first time I stopped I nearly fell outta the seat," Duo said flatly, but his eyes were shining with excitement. "Okay, let's work on turning."

A half an hour later the two boys were still practicing. Duo was jogging to keep up with Heero, who was pedaling faster at Duo's coaxing. The shorter boy had taken to running out of Heero's line of sight to keep up. Duo glanced up at Heero. The taller boy's attention was focused solely on his balance and what lay ahead of him. The braided boy smiled and let go gently, slowing to a stop as Heero kept going down his driveway.

Heero turned at the end of the driveway - and saw Duo. The other boy had his arms crossed across his chest and was smiling proudly, the expression more worthy of a father than a six year-old boy. "Duo!" he called, beaming. "I'm doing it! I'm really doing it!"

Duo laughed and clapped. "See? I told you you could!"

Heero stopped carefully beside his friend, leaned over, and hugged him. "Thanks, Duo!"

Duo hugged him back, grinning. "You're welcome."

* * *

If you can't guess, these are just a few of the happy moments out of their childhood that will eventually be used later in the story. See if you can't guess a trend in the song titles if you get bored and, again, sorry for the length! The next one will be much longer, I promise!

And in case you're wondering, I doubt the other G-boys will be in this one [sniffle]. I tried, but I just don't see where I can fit them in. Sorry! 


	3. Don't Know What You Got Till It's Gone

Sorry about the delay! I've had some complications that are really important. Here's your long(er) chapter, and I hope this catches some interests! Thanks everyone!

And some good news for the story! I think I know how to get the rest of the boys in here!

* * *

"Heero, Duo! Come in and get washed up!" an adult voice called from inside the large Victorian house in whose yard they were playing. 

"'K!" the two boys called in unison, jumping up and brushing the sand from themselves before dashing towards the door. Before Duo ran into the house, however, he glanced over his shoulder. His blue-violet eyes studied a half-hidden tan mansion through the small stretch of forest between the two houses. His mouth twitched a bit, waiting to see movement that never came. 

"Hey! 'Sa matter?" Heero chirped, poking his head back around the doorframe. 

"It's so...quiet," Duo replied uneasily, pointing at the house. He laughed, breaking the melancholy air around him. "I never realized how much noise mommy and daddy made before." 

Heero giggled. "Yeah, it's always something! You're not worried, are ya? You can call them before we leave if you want." His expression softened. 

"No, I'm not worried." Duo smiled brightly. "They've been gone longer. 'Sides, the longer they're gone, the longer I can stay with you! I like having parents that travel." 

The taller boy grinned mischievously. "So do I. It's almost like we live together sometimes. Come on, let's go!" He tugged the other boy into the old house. 

Once inside, the woman that had called them looked them over. She sighed and shook her head. "Heero, honey, I told you not to get dirty." _ But then again, when doesn't he?_ The thought made a smile cross her colored lips. 

"I'll go change," Heero said with a small sigh. 

"That's my boy," his mother grinned, tweaking her son's nose when he walked by and nonchalantly giving Duo's braid an affectionate tug. They both laughed and took off running. 

Within moments the couple was back, Heero in a fresh change of clothes and both boys giggling. "We're ready to go!" 

Heero's mother smiled. "Go on out to the car, boys. We'll be there in a minute." 

The children did as they were told. Heero tugged the door of the SUV open, and they climbed inside, the boy also pulling the door shut. "I'm hungry," he admitted, kneeling on the floor and putting some toys of interest on the seat. 

Duo joined him on his knees. "Me too. I'm glad we're going to JoJo's. They have good food." 

They were still in animated conversation when Heero's parents came out to the car. The two seven year-olds sat in seats next to each other, Duo in the middle and Heero by the left window seat, piling their toys on their laps. Heero's father opened the sun roof, causing the two to point and laugh in delight. They played contently in the back seat of the vehicle and sang with the radio during the ride. Fifteen minutes later the SUV rolled to a stop at a stoplight. 

"Look, kids, a hawk!" Heero's mom called, pointing to their right. 

"It's pretty! Cool!" came the chorused answers. 

The light turned green, and Duo looked up as the vehicle began to slowly move forward. He glanced to the right and frowned. "Heero-"

That was as far as he got before the dump truck he'd seen barreling towards them collided head-on with the black SUV. The all-terrain vehicle almost immediately flipped and would've rolled had the dump truck not been pushing it through four lanes of rush-hour traffic on its roof. Other vehicles swerved to get out of the way, but not all of them succeeded, and the SUV was hit an additional three times before the dump truck veered to one side and ran off of the road. 

It was about that time that Heero and Duo stopped screaming. 

There was an almost forbidding silence as the two hung upside down, held in place only by their seatbelts. "Duo…are you okay?" Heero finally whispered, reaching out and taking Duo's left hand in his right. 

"Yeah," he replied quietly, gripping his friend's hand tightly. 

Sounds of car doors slamming and running feet filled the void of silence the two youngsters had found themselves in. Voices were shouting to each other and others, trying to detour traffic and deciding who was calling ambulances. 

"Oh my God…" an unfamiliar female voice murmured before calling, "Hello? Is there anyone in here?" 

"Yeah," Heero said, looking to Duo uncertainly. 

"Hurry! There's a kid in here!" the woman yelled. "What's your name, hon?" she asked gently. 

"Heero." 

"Heero, is there anyone else in there with you?" 

"Yeah. His name is Duo. He's my friend." 

"Hi, Duo." 

"Hi," he replied shyly. 

"You two just sit tight, okay? Don't move, and we'll get you out as soon as-" The voice ended in a scream. 

Suddenly a violent jolt on the back of the SUV sent Duo flying out of his seatbelt. He screamed as he came face-to-pebble with the moving pavement that the still-open sunroof left exposed. The sparks from the metal caught him in the face, and his screaming went up an octave as he was hurt. His hold on Heero's hand, however, saved him, jerking him back to face the taller boy instead of the ground, and he held his feet against the seat. He locked tear-filled eyes with his best friend. "Don't let go!" he whimpered, clutching tightly to him. 

"I won't," Heero promised softly, barely heard over the crushing of metal. He used both hands to hold onto him, unconsciously digging his fingernails into Duo's skin. Duo's gaze switched to the back windshield, and he gave a short shriek as he saw it covered in blood. He could barely see a body imprinted in the mess. Even as his young mind registered this, the SUV slid to a slow stop. 

When it had stopped moving completely, a different voice greeted them. "Boys? Are you okay?" 

"Uh-huh, yeah," they said uncertainly, still holding onto each other. 

"The one's out of his seat belt." 

"We can't get to him." 

"How are we going to flip this thing over if he's out? He could get hurt." 

Heero and Duo looked at each other. It was then Heero saw the unshed tears of pain in Duo's wide, frightened eyes. Without letting go of Duo's hand, he pulled the boy up against him so that Duo was sitting in his lap, held in place by his strong arms. 

"He's safe." 

"Go." 

"Boys, hang on tight!" a voice warned, and the SUV was being rocked violently back and forth. Moments later it rightened. In the distance they could hear sirens and horns blaring. "Here come the ambulances." 

Duo was shaking in Heero's arms, and Heero was suddenly aware that his friend was wet. The right side of him was covered in blood, and he was breathing quickly. "Duo?" Heero asked apprehensively. "Duo, look at me." The braided boy did as he was told, though he kept his eyes down. Blood ran down his face in trickles from half a dozen different places. "You're hurt," he said, tone worried. 

"I'll be okay." He gave his friend a faltering smile, and his short statement caused blood to spill from his mouth. 

There was a loud screaming sound of an electric appliance that made the boys' teeth hurt, and any further conversation was cut short as the saw cut through the door of the SUV. Moments later there was a clatter of metal, and Duo felt large hands grab his sides. 

He shrieked, more in pain than surprise, as he was hauled off of Heero's lap. Their hands were torn apart, and Heero made a feeble grab for his friend. When it failed he tried to undo his seatbelt, but it was jammed, and no amount of wigging could free him from his prison. He looked up at Duo, who was being securely held by a fireman, only to see the blue-violet eyes widen in horror and a scream erupt from the boy's mouth as he stared at the front of the SUV. 

All the child could see was blood, body parts, and general carnage, the only things that remained of Heero's parents. Blood dripped from the roof and ran down the dashboard. Mrs. Yuy's head was attached to her neck by a mere sinew of stubborn muscle, and the right side of her body was unidentifiable from the side of the SUV. The skin was gone from most of Mr. Yuy's face, looking almost like a peeled apple, and his head was split open for all to see. Upon closer inspection, Mrs. Yuy's legs were also missing and would later be found fifty feet away from the scene of the original impact. Bones and organs stuck out of odd places on the couple's bodies, and the overall effect was worse than many firemen present had seen in their time of duty. 

Duo's scream was cut off, however, when the fireman holding him turned, and the boy lost sight of the SUV. "Put me down! Let me go! Heero!" the seven year-old yelled, voice shrilling from pain and fear. "Put me down!" He shrieked several times as he was handed from fireman to medic. A well-placed kick made the medic turn in pain, allowing the boy the sight of the SUV once again. He'd barely locked eyes with Heero when the situation got even worse. 

The SUV exploded in a huge ball of fire. 

Duo stared, mouth open, eyes huge, as his best friend was lost from sight behind the flames. He could hear Heero shrieking, and tears began to pour from his eyes. His loudest scream yet tore from his throat, but this one was a word howled in such a broken, pained way that it brought tears to some eyes. 

"_Heeeeeeeeeerroooooo!!_"

* * *

**Reviews:**

**Nikkler** - Awww, I feel so loved! LOL, thanks! I hope you like this one!

**Ashen Skies** - I honestly just don't know where to put them! [sweatdrop] I hope they fit in this new spot I have them in, that's all I can say. Don't worry, there'll be plenty of 1x2! Thank you for the grammar check – I'll try to go back and fix it when I can. Thanks!

**Die Spitze** - Thanks! I'm going to try to put some longer chapters in. Does that mean I get more reviews? [wink]

**fiery-icicles** - I'll try to work them in. Thanks a bunch!

**Chibis Unleashed** - Yeah, I liked the swings part myself. I actually saw something similar to this when I was at a park once…Thanks for the review!

**bluep** - Thanks! I'm working hard to keep this thing going, believe me…

**Riath** - It'll be OOC for awhile, and Heero will never _quite_ be IC I don't think, but he will be frosty towards others. Thanks for the review!

**sharl-tn** - That was probably the longest AN I'd ever written. I went ahead and moved the review replies down here, so you can get to the story faster. [wink] Thanks! 


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